Over a hundred firefighters are currently battling a blaze in Herriman, Utah, one which has already scorched 3,500 acres and displaced 1,500 families. It was started yesterday by the Utah National Guard's machine gun practice.

The wildfire, which is already being dubbed the "Machine Gun Fire," was sparked during target practice at Camp Williams, a National Guard facilitate 30 miles outside Salt Lake City. Apparently, artillery ignited a small dry bush and the fire quickly grew out of control. NPR reports:

"It was kind of a perfect storm scenario where once the fire started on the firing range at the National Guard base, the wind really kicked up," said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson, who saw homes catch fire. "Literally, the fire was coming down into the backyards of many of these residents."

Winds racing through the area at 40 to 50 mph pushed the "Machine Gun Fire" over a mountain ridge and into the Salt Lake Valley, Hutson said.

"It was lifesaving efforts trying to get people out of the area because of a very, very fast-moving fire - literally moving faster than anybody could run," he said.

One of the more creative ways we've used guns to muck things up in recent memory, I must say. [NPR and CNN]